Castle Saunderson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Castle Saunderson |
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| Belturbet, County Cavan, in Ireland | |
Castle Saunderson
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| Area | 34 acres |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Scouting Ireland (CSI) |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
Castle Saunderson (which in Irish is Caisleán Shandarsan) is an old castle located near Belturbet in County Cavan, Ireland. It used to be the home of the Saunderson family, but now it is mostly in ruins. The Finn River flows right next to the castle grounds, leading into Upper Lough Erne.
Today, the castle grounds are home to the Castle Saunderson International Scouting Centre. This is a special place for Scouting Ireland, which opened in 2012. The centre has places to stay indoors and campsites spread across 34 acres (about 14 hectares). It welcomes Scouts all year round and is also open to non-Scouts for most of the year. It's even one of the official World Scouting Centres, like the one in Cairo, Egypt!
Contents
Discovering Castle Saunderson's Past
The Saunderson Family Home
The Saunderson family first got the original castle during a time called the Plantation of Ulster. Before them, the castle was known as Breffni Castle and belonged to the O'Reillys of Breffni, starting from the 1300s.
In 1676, Robert Sanderson inherited the castle. He fought for William of Orange. In 1689, soldiers loyal to James II burned the castle. A few months later, 400 of King James's soldiers were surprised here while leaving a battle. Many were forced into the Finn River and drowned.
The castle you see today was built in 1840. Sadly, it was badly damaged by fire in 1990. A famous person born here was Edward James Saunderson, who helped start the Ulster Unionist Party.
The last Saunderson to own the castle was Captain Alexander "Sandy" Saunderson. He was a prisoner during the Second World War. Later, he worked as a legal advisor at the War Tribunal at Nuremberg. In 1977, he sold the castle to a businessman who planned to live there, but it never happened. The castle later became a hotel, but it was damaged by another fire, which was the third fire at the castle.
The Castle Saunderson grounds, which are now about 103 acres (42 hectares), have entrances in both County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland and County Cavan in the Republic of Ireland. The property also includes a church with a crypt and a family graveyard.
Castle Saunderson as an International Scout Centre
A New Beginning for the Castle
In 1997, Scouting Ireland (CSI) bought the castle and its land. There were some delays and money problems, which made the future of the campsite uncertain. However, with help from the American Ireland Fund and Cavan County Council, things started to move forward. In November 2008, it was announced that the project would receive over €3 million in funding from the European Union.
On August 18, 2012, Michael D. Higgins, the President of Ireland, officially opened the €3.7 million European-funded Castle Saunderson International Scouting Centre. Important people from both sides of the Irish border attended the opening.
In February 2015, Minister Heather Humphreys announced plans to restore a canal. This canal, part of the Ulster Canal, will connect the site to the Erne basin.
The centre offers special programs that help Scouts earn the Messenger of Peace Award. The first person in charge of the camp at Castle Saunderson was Tony Smith, a local Scouter from Fermanagh.
